Tips on improving your pace of play

[笑言]

Tips on improving your pace of play:

1. PLAY READY GOLF AT ALL TIMES! BE PREPARED TO HIT WHEN IT IS YOUR TURN!
2. Set up an effective and efficient pre-routine. DO NOT spend long time to perform a practice swing like a real swing. DO NOT practise a swing with endless meditation. It's really unnecessary and usually making things worse. Instead, making a couple of easy swing for your feel and hit the ball firmly.
3. Walk quickly between shots and holes. Do not rush your routine. But once you've hit, walk quickly to next shot or next hole.
4. Do not use tournament play for teaching and instruction.
5. Use time between holes for scoring, not during play of holes.
6. 90% of pace of play problems happen on the putting green. If your player has a putt remaining of 2 feet or less, please hole out.
7. Take advantage of the Provisional Ball rule. If you are unsure if your ball is lost, put another ball in play. Remember, you must announce your actions to your group.
8. Have your yardage prepared before it is your turn to play.
9. Read your line of putt before it is your turn to putt.
10. The position of the group behind you has no bearing in determining whether or not your group's pace of play is satisfactory.
11. Do not take more than 5 minutes to search for ball.
12. The final groups (tournament leaders) are expected to abide by the same pace of play procedures as the rest of the field.
13. The time limit is generally 30 to 45 seconds per shot for both putts and other strokes. The time will commence once it is the player’s turn to play regardless if the player is ready or not. This is to encourage them to prepare for their shot while their fellow competitors are playing rather than just watching their fellow competitors play. The time limit does not mean that you need 30 seconds for every single stroke. In reality, average players spend about 20 seconds or even less.

 

[笑言]

The Pre-Shot Routine[zt]

Why do so many golf psychologists recommend using a pre-shot routine? Because it is a very effective method of improving one's focus on the task at hand -- the upcoming golf shot.

What is a pre-shot routine and what is it good for? A pre-shot routine is a consistent and systematic procedure (a sequence of thoughts, checkpoints, movements or details) that is executed by a golfer prior to hitting a golf shot. Pre-shot routines are likely as varied in their steps and details, from person to person, as fingerprints (i.e., each golfer's pre-shot routine is probably unique).

A pre-shot routine is good for eliminating extraneous thoughts prior to hitting a golf shot and "grounding" a player, getting them to focus more exclusively on the shot at hand. Why? Because executing a pre-shot routine requires the focus of conscious attention on relevant tasks, thereby eliminating or at least reducing any extra time to attend to irrelevant or unwanted things.

You'll notice that when you watch the pros on TV each pro has certain mannerisms that they go through before each shot, and typically they perform these mannerisms identically for each shot. They are going through their pre-shot routine.

What are the components of a pre-shot routine? Though there is a lot of variation between players and styles, it is safe to say that the pre-shot routine for each player covers the details that are important to that player. Placement of the hands on the club, body alignment, placement of the club on the target line, shot visualization, a certain number of waggles, or a certain number of looks to the target are a few of the possibilities that a player might include in their pre-shot routine. Some players may consider their pre-shot routine to begin when they select a club from their bag. Others may consider the pre-shot routine to start when they approach the ball. Again, personal preferences vary greatly.

My own experience is that developing a pre-shot routine helped me to improve noticeably as a player. It especially helped me with first tee jitters when I was younger. My pre-shot routine is very simple. It includes an alignment reference and a relaxed practice swing, some attention to detail in the alignment of my clubface and body, a look to the target to give my mind a clear and recent picture of my goal, and then I swing. I consider my pre-shot routine to have begun once I start lining up for the shot from behind the ball. It is always the same, fits my style and rhythm, and covers the points that are important to me, in terms of details. It takes all of about 12 seconds.

How can you develop your own pre-shot routine? Your own personal pre-shot routine should fit your style and rhythm as a player. What I mean by this is that you should try to match the tempo or rhythm of your pre-shot routine to that of your personality and how you play golf. Do you play fast or slow -- or medium? For instance, if you are a very fast paced individual (talk fast, eat fast, drive fast -- careful now) it probably wouldn't work very well for you to have a long, drawn out, methodical and slow paced pre-shot routine. That makes sense, doesn't it? Likewise, if you are methodical and plodding, I doubt that a short and hurried pre-shot routine would serve you very well. Developing your pre-shot routine may happen quickly or it may take a while. It will take some careful thought and some conscious and deliberate practice. Just be sure to include the details that are important to you, and match your style and rhythm. After all, the whole point is to give you a feeling of comfort, familiarity and confidence, and to occupy your mind with relevant tasks rather than let all those extra unwanted worries, distractions or mental wanderings have any space or time in your mind.

Start developing your own pre-shot routine and in no time you'll have one you feel good about. Once it is part of your game you will notice improvement in your consistency and scores.